For me the most interesting thing about this article was about his training.
Guys like Ritz or Webb or Hall seem to have so much talent and desire that they end up killing themselves in training. They want it so much they are unable to chill out and do the workout as intended. They need to do a hero workout everyday.
I'm amazed how many elite runners try to 'crush' their easy days and hard days. I was just watching a Gwen Jorgenson video and she was running 'easy' but her body looked strained. It seemed like she was deluding herself about what an easy effort should feel like in terms of effort.
I always wonder what the careers of Webb or Hall would have been like if they had allowed themselves to actually jog their easy days and not grind up into sub-threshold on every run. It seems so basic, but have these guys wear a HR and stay below a certain HR on easy days. (Worked for the greatest XC skier of all time, BTW).
I hope he does well in the race. If he is able to not push two hard in the first 13.1 miles and stay in control, then he could have an amazing last half and do really well.